The Ultimate Raster Graphics Software List: 8 Programs to Consider

Raster graphic files are complex. Figuring out which program to use doesn’t have to be.

Below, we break down what a raster graphic file is and share a top raster graphics software list with nine programs to think about for your needs.

In this article:

What is a raster graphic file?Advantages and drawbacks of raster graphicsBest raster graphics software listChoosing the simplest raster graphics software for your needs

What is a raster graphic file?

A raster graphic file, commonly mentioned as a bitmap image, is actually a set or grid of small pixels that structure an entire image. Each pixel (or square) features a specific hue or shade. It’s generally considered unimportant by itself — but together, the pixels structure an entire image.

A raster graphic file is usually wont to alter non-line images, like digitized photos, scanned art, or detailed illustrations or graphics. That’s because these sorts of images contains gradations, undefined line work, and complexities — and having the ability to switch pixel by pixel can help create a flawless image.

This is actually why raster graphic files are often perfect for your product photography needs, as many raster graphic programs include features and capabilities which will assist you edit product photos right down to the fine details — like tones, hues, and blends.

Raster vs. vector image

While raster graphic files use square pixels, vector images are dictated by mathematical formulas to make paths, curves, circles, and more. Vector images also are more flexible to use, as they're scalable, not hooked in to resolution, and smaller in size.

Typically, vector images are best used for design and illustration work — think logos, designs for promotional products, and other large-scale illustrations. That being said, you ought to never use vector images for product photography since raster graphics are the go-to for photo editing — but that's to not say vectors cannot be helpful to your business.

For example, vector images are perfect for creating business logos and the other promotional materials — because the paths help create crisp details which will be sized up or right down to fit needing you'll have.

Advantages and Disadvantagesof raster graphics

When it involves creating an in depth image, raster graphics are your friend. Since you'll change every single pixel, it helps you create a picture with a good range of colours and complexities. Plus, raster graphic files are compatible with most photo editing programs.

Since raster graphic files are made from tiny pixels, they're difficult to enlarge without distortion. Additionally, the more pixels a raster graphic file has, the more room you’ll got to store the image. this will become problematic when it involves storage limitations on both your own devices and therefore the websites you're uploading the pictures to. Here’s a rule of thumb: Reduce your file size right down to 72 PPI (pixels per inch) for online images.

Best raster graphics software list

Whether you’re a beginner or expert and have a budget or little to spend, this raster graphics software list has something for everybody .

At a look

Artweaver

Available for both free and a reasonable price, Artweaver may be a realistic painting tool — not only for creating original artwork, but a software you'll use to show images into pieces of art. It’s also easily accessible for both first-time and advanced users, because of its easy-to-use interface, customizability, and support for a broad range of tools, presets, and more. Artweaver even has brush types that mimic famous painters like van Gogh , and features a similar interface to the widely known Photoshop.

While the free version has many of the fundamentals , Artweaver Plus also includes more enhanced tools, extended support for PSD files, support for pen tablets, additional brush types and methods, and more. Artweaver Plus is out there to download for a limited time test version.

Price: Free; €34

Artweaver pros:

• Intuitive interface you'll customize to your personal workflow
• Ability to figure with other artists over the web , either on an equivalent project simultaneously or communicating through a team chat
• Highly configurable brush system, with a spread of brush types and presets
• Compatibility with plugins for added functionality
• Supports a spread of tools, layers, and filters
• Recording capability to capture the painting process
• Native 64 bit and support for multiple CPU cores and documents with 8 and 18 bit/channel
• Industry standard editing tools
• Supports pen tablets, including pressure, pen erasers, and gear ID
• Compatible with all raster graphic file formats (TIFF, JPEG, GIF, PCX, and BMP)

Artweaver cons:

• Works solely as a painting tool instead of image adjustment
• Interface seems less advanced than other programs on our list
• Supports Windows 7, 8, and 10 only

How it compares

Artweaver isn’t like many of the raster graphic software programs on our list, as it’s more of a painting tool than a program you’d use to easily adjust a photograph . But if you’re finding yourself creating raster graphics of this sort , Artweaver comes at an excellent price point — or just free — for a user with any level of experience .

Corel Painter

Another digital painting software, Corel Painter stands out because of its vast amount of brushes and customization options — additionally to the general advanced interface and tools it offers creatives. Perfect to be used with a stylus, Corel Painter helps save time with a huge amount of options.

Price: $429 for full program; $229 for upgrade

Corel Painter pros:

• Over 900 realistic art brushes across 36 categories
• Variety of brush adjustment options, like size, ship, angle, flow, and more
• Includes color harmonies, perspective guides, mirror painting, and other tools
• Responds dynamically to stylus movements and canvas textures
• Automatic performance optimization to make sure optimal speed on your device
• Learning portal with videos, sharing capabilities, tips, webinars, and contests
• Bonus functionality to assist you recognize the way to upgrade your systems
• Additional brush packs for enhancement

Corel Painter cons:

• Catered more toward digital painters than photographers
• Updates from previous versions may take a while to urge wont to
• Requires newer devices to run the program
• Pricier than some programs on our list

How it compares

Much like Artweaver, Corel Painter is restricted to digital paintings than photos. However, if that matches your raster graphic needs, the program is within your budget, and you’re an intermediate to advanced user, Corel Painter can assist you create a sensible raster graphic photo with its vast sort of brushes and adjustment options.

Photoshop

Whether you’re an amateur or professional photographer, likelihood is that you recognize what Photoshop is and what it does. That’s probably because it’s a complete powerhouse when it comes not only to digital painting — just like the others on our list — but also photo editing, animation, and graphic design. Plus, it’s now available not just for desktops by iPads, too.

Price: $9.99 per month for Lightroom, sans Creative Cloud

Photoshop pros:

• Countless online Photoshop tutorials, resources, and support from everywhere the online
• Versatile tool for digital painting, photography, animation, and graphic design
• Go-to resource for professional photo editing and retouching with easy-to-use tools, like object selection, enhanced transform warp, modern presets, and more
• Unlimited layers and masks, with the power to feature text
• Can sync your desktop to iPad to require work wherever you go
• New features roll out regularly
• Perfect for professional photographers who make detailed edits

Photoshop cons:

• Only compatible with desktops or iPad tablets
• Not the perfect tool to use for on-image copy
• Difficult to use as an amateur, as Photoshop is a complicated program
• Pricier than most programs on our list, although it's considered worthwhile to some thanks to its features

How it compares

If you’re a complicated user who has the budget to spend, Photoshop may be a shoe certain what’s one among the simplest overall image editing software programs to use. a number of the features are already unmatched generally — and you'll always expect new, innovative features to roll out. And now, there’s the power to sync to your iPad, a comparatively new feature which will help those on the go.

Pixlr X

If you’re trying to find a convenient photo editing tool for raster graphic files, Pixlr X could be perfect for you — albeit you’re just starting out. Pixlr X prides itself on being convenient and straightforward to use, especially when it involves needing quick photo edits. Pixlr X is additionally a web tool — so you access it through your browser rather than a downloaded application.

Price: Free

Pixlr X pros:

• Essential photo editing tools for creating quick adjustments
• Easy-to-use retouching features to assist fix blemishes, remove spots, and more
• Drawing tool to make illustrations or incorporate doodles or scribbles on a picture
• Popular photography filters and effects like mosaic, bloom, clarity, glamor, and more
• “Element” feature adds more advanced photo editing opportunities
• Dark and lightweight mode to assist with eye strain — or just your own preference
• Easy-to-use dashboard for simple access
• Automatically saves files so you never lose any work and may continue where you left off
• Edit photos within Dropbox with the Dropbox extension
• Comes with 6 months of 25 GB on Dropbox for free of charge
• Includes a mobile app on iOS and Android

Pixlr X cons:

• Exists online within an internet and mobile app (although, this might be a professional to some worried about space for storing for downloadable software programs)
• A newer program, so some features are still during a beta stage
• Requires a Flash player enabled on your browser

How it compares

Pixlr X is that the only online based tool on our list, making it an excellent raster graphic software program to undertake out if you’re already running into storage issues. Plus, if you’re trying to find a program which will help save time, Pixlr X may be a great program to undertake with its compatibility with Dropbox, auto-saving functionality, and mobile app.

GIMP

GIMP (or GNU Image Manipulation Program) may be a cross platform image editor available for Windows, OS X, GNU/Linux, and more — you'll even change the ASCII text file and distribute changes made, a bit like an open source software program. GIMP includes sophisticated editing tools for photographers, graphic designers, and illustrators alike, while compatible with many third party plugins.

Price: Free

GIMP pros:

• Retouch or restore images with high-quality photo manipulation tools
• Flexibility to rework images into unique pieces of art — or just from scratch
• Graphic design elements for icons, design elements, and art — specifically for user-interface components and mockups
• Color management features for digital and medium
• Compatible with most image files
• Includes layers, brushes, filters, animation packages, and enhancement tools
• Support for third party plugins
• Constantly developed thanks to its open source nature, so bugs are quickly resolved
• Highly customizable with tutorials and community support

GIMP cons:

• Might require programming knowledge or expertise to customize the program

How it compares

Out of the raster graphics software programs on our list, GIMP is that the just one that works within the open-source model. this suggests if you've got programming knowledge, you've got the power to customize this program to your own needs and workflow. On the flip side, it's going to be difficult to navigate as a beginner — except for more intermediate to advanced users, GIMP could also be worthwhile to undertake out for its flexibility.

Paint.NET

If you’re just starting out, paint.NET may be a excellent spot to find out the way to edit and retouch raster graphic files because of its simple interface . Designed to be intuitive and straightforward to find out , this software may be a fast image editor that’s responsive and has all of the tools you would like to form an upscale image.

Price: Free

paint.NET pros:

• Quick and aware of every click
• Comes with computer graphics including blurring, sharpening, red-eye removal, distortion, 3D rotate/zoom, and more
• Drawing tools for curves, gradients, coling, text editing, and more
• Has an equivalent layer technology as expensive software programs, like Photoshop
• Growing online community with tutorials and plugins
• Automatically updated with free features, improvements, and bug fixes

paint.NET cons:

• Not meant for professionals, because the program doesn’t offer tons of advanced features
• Text integration isn't as seamless as other software programs on our list

How it compares

paint.NET may need a somewhat cluttered interface as compared to more modern tools, but the tools and features for raster graphics, specifically, can't be overlooked. If you’re just starting out, paint.NET may be a useful gizmo to start out out on to find out the way to edit and retouch raster graphics.

Pixelmator Pro

When it involves trying to find a less expensive alternative to Photoshop, Pixelmator Pro is at the highest of the many photographers’ lists. While it’s not an entire replacement, tons of users say what’s lacking in Pixelmator Pro as compared to Photoshop isn’t totally needed for several photo editing tasks.

Price: $39.99

Pixelmator Pro pros:

• Ease of use for working with raster graphic layers (and rasterizing vector graphics)
• Clean window interface with embedded toolbars and menus
• FIlters, color presets, brushes, effects, drawing tools, and more
• Automatic naming of layers and image upscaling with machine learning
• Includes support for Sidecar and Apple Pencil
• ML Denoise removes noise and compression artifacts
• Arrange Tool helps to resize and rotate without destructing the image

Pixelmator Pro cons:

• Only available for MacOS
• Beginners may experience a learning curve

How it compares

While Pixelmator Pro may have an interface that’s easy to navigate, the convenience comes with knowledge. So if you’re a complicated photographer with raster graphic experience (and looking to save lots of some money), Pixelmator Pro may be a great alternative to pricier software programs on our list, like Photoshop and Illustrator.

Affinity Photo

Much like Pixelmator Pro, Affinity Photo is another raster graphics software on the list that sees many comparisons to Photoshop. While it’s still relatively new — and has kinks to figure out — the affordable pricing, simple interface, layer-based editing, and time-saving features make Affinity Photo a top contender when checking out a raster graphic software program.

Price: $49.99 (Mac and Windows); $19.99 (iPad)

Affinity Photo pros:

• Simplified interface, with task-focused workspaces
• Supports Photoshop plugins
• Can import and export PSD files, and import PSB files
• 360 degree image editing, execution , lighting filters, and more
• Affordable price compared to other software programs, like Photoshop
• Layer-based editing for non-destructive image editing workflows
• Live filters for real-time viewing of modifications
• Recording of workflow steps (much like actions in Photoshop)

Affinity Photo cons:

• Only supports iPad tablets
• Some features are reported as slow, like tone-mapping and panorama stitching
• Highlight and shadow adjustments might be improved

How it compares

The great thing about Affinity Photo — as compared to other programs on our list — is that a lot of features are specifically made to save lots of time. Additionally, if you've got to use Photoshop for a few tasks, the support for various plugins could make this a simple program to implement into your workflows. Plus, the affordable one-time fee makes it a no brainer if you would like something specific to raster graphics.

Choosing the simplest raster graphics software for your needs

When making a choice on something which will make your life easier, there’s tons to think about — budget, your level of experience , the hardware you already own, will you've got time to beat a learning curve … the list goes on.

Our top choice? Affinity Photo. regardless of your level of experience — or if you've got Mac or Windows — this raster graphic software isn't only accessible but also comparable in features to the widely used Photoshop (plus, it’s cheaper .)